A former Oklahoma death row inmate, who Kim Kardashian has long advocated for, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Richard Glossip, 63, was originally sentenced to death in 1998 for the Oklahoma City murder of his ex-boss, motel owner 54-year-old Barry Van Treese. He has been fighting to prove his innocence ever since.
Over the years, Glossip’s persistent claims of innocence have attracted attention from Kim Kardashian alongside several other high-profile advocates.
In a plea deal with state prosecutors, Glossip admitted to being an accessory to first-degree murder in connection with the 1997 murder-for-hire hit.
In return, Oklahoma prosecutors dropped the first-degree murder charge against him at a court hearing on Thursday.
The US Supreme Court overturned Glossip’s conviction in February 2025, leading to his release on bond in May while he awaited a new trial.
Judge Natalie Mai set Glossip’s bail at $500,000 on May 14, which Kardashian paid ‘immediately,’ according to film producer Scott Budnick.
Richard Glossip admitted to being an accessory to first-degree murder in connection with the 1997 murder-for-hire case
The US Supreme Court overturned Glossip’s conviction in February 2025, leading to his release on bond in May while he awaited a new trial
A Former Oklahoma death row inmate pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, with the help of Kim Kardashian
Budnick posted to Instagram, showing Glossip leaving prison with his wife, Lea Glossip, writing that the reality star ‘graciously paid for’ his release.
‘After 29 years innocent on Oklahoma’s death row – Richard Glossip walked out as a free man this afternoon,’ Budnick wrote.
‘I’m just thankful for my wife and my attorneys. Just thankful. It’s overwhelming, but it’s amazing at the same time,’ Glossip said following his release.
Prosecutors alleged that Van Treese was fatally beaten with a baseball bat as part of a murder-for-hire plot, according to CBS News.
Justin Sneed confessed to robbing and fatally beating Van Treese in 1997, although he testified that he carried out the attack because Glossip offered him $10,000.
Over the years, Glossip’s persistent claims of innocence have attracted attention from Kim Kardashian alongside several other high-profile advocates
Former death row prisoner Richard Glossip, center, speaks to media after exiting a detention facility after being granted bond while awaiting retrial Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nick Oxford)
Sneed received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his involvement in the murder.
Don Knight, Glossip’s attorney, said he believed ‘Rich has more than paid his debt to society by spending nearly 30 years on death row.’
‘He was served three last meals and came within minutes of being executed for a crime he did not commit.’
While Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond previously supported throwing out Glossip’s original conviction due to trial errors, he later announced that the state would retry him for murder.
In a statement to the press, Drummond clarified that prosecutors would seek additional prison time rather than pursuing the death penalty again.
According to the Oklahoma Voice, Glossip’s next court dates are December 17 and 18 for a two-day sentencing hearing before Judge Natalie Mai in the Oklahoma County District Court.
